In a message dated 96-09-05 17:16:44 EDT, you write:
>At 09:28 AM 9/4/96 -0400, you wrote to Paul Schader regarding
>his defense of the cost/technology of his XMatch, Classic Lowbander
>antenna tuner. Paul had written: .....the XMatch <(SNIP)>
Ooops, I thought it was a reader survey, commercial, or resume', and he was
looking for some type of input. I apologize for cluttering up the group.
Sorry, my error. Sometimes when posts are real long, I skim them too fast.
73 Tom
>From vr2bg@asiaonline.net (VS6BrettGraham) Fri Sep 6 10:13:32 1996
From: vr2bg@asiaonline.net (VS6BrettGraham) (VS6BrettGraham)
Subject: contest calls - absolutely the end, I promise
Message-ID: <199609060913.RAA05104@asiaonline.net>
A coupla mates of mine failed horribly in timing their 2x1 applications, or
so I thought. I knew WX3N had been through a few calls, but I didn't know
it was that bad! When I got my call - now, what was it... Ksomething7....
errr, I forget... (ummm, I wonder when it expires?) - it didn't seem so bad,
so pardon me if I can't see why one would be inclined to pay money for a
call. Unless your call is really bad, of course. I think I had one of
those once... and from this position of authority I must state that WN4KKN
is not one.
73, VS6BrettGraham vr2bg@harts.org.hk
>From ki8w@netonecom.net (Barry Martz) Fri Sep 6 13:32:31 1996
From: ki8w@netonecom.net (Barry Martz) (Barry Martz)
Subject: Fwd: DX Alert Summary #2
Message-ID: <199609061139.HAA22479@netone.netonecom.net>
-- [ From: Barry Martz * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --
Version 2 with some corrections.
Here is my list of VOICE DX Alert frequencies. If you see anything that
needs to be corrected or added, please send me the information.
Call: Area: Club: Freq:
K8KRG N.ROYALTON N. OHIO DX ASSN. 145.15-
nr. CLEVELAND
W6FRZ LOS ANGELES SO. CAL DX CLUB 145.48-
(KJ6HO) ORANGE CO. pl 100
W4NT ATLANTA GA. SEDXA 147.51 SIMPLEX
W9BZW WHEATON IL. NIDXA 147.36+
nr. CHICAGO pl 136.5
K5VT CAREFREE AZ. CADXA 147.32+
nr. PHOENIX
K7LJ PORTLAND OR. 145.39-
W7AC WILLAMETTE VALLEY DX 147.14+ (POSSIBLE)
W6TI NORTHERN .CA. NO. CAL DX CLUB 147.36+
KL7Y ANCHORAGE AK. 147.57 SIMPLEX
K5DX HOUSTON TX. TDXS 147.36+
K8NA TROY MI. SEMDXA 145.13
W7FR SEATTLE WA. WWDXC 147.00
KI6ZH SAN DIEGO CA. SAN DIEGO DX CLUB 144.15 SIMPLEX
VE3PDX GOLDEN NIAGARA FRONTIER INT'L 147.345+
HORSESHOE DX ASSN. & KK2I
(NIAGARA, BUFFALO, HAMILTON, TORONTO)
VA3SDX CENTRAL ONTARIO KK2I NFIDXA, VA3CW & 442.875+5
CENTRAL ONT. RTTY ENTH.
(BARRIE, ORILLIA SIMCOE CO. MUSKOKA DIST.)
Thanks to all who responded. I will add any others that come in. I WILL
(soon) also add the list to my home page:
http://www.netonecom.net/~ki8w/bad1.html or
or
http://www.netonecom.net/~ki8w/bad2.html (( no graphics ))
de Barry/KI8W
>From kr2j@ix.netcom.com (Robert E. Naumann) Fri Sep 6 12:46:20 1996
From: kr2j@ix.netcom.com (Robert E. Naumann) (Robert E. Naumann)
Subject: What is your Lat-Long?
Message-ID: <01BB9BBF.2162C300@dfw-tx12-03.ix.netcom.com>
>> Craig R. Cook wrote:
>
> For those upcoming contests that need a grid-square, or if you are just
> someone like me who likes to know their lat-long to the nth degree, I
found
> what I think is a good WWW site. Point your browser at
> "http://tiger.census.gov";. This is the census bureau tiger mapping
service.
>>Well - I did - and it doesn't work well for us. Got within the state,
>>and that was about it. ...<<
The Tiger maps were originally set up to allow the census takers to find
where they needed to go. They've turned into the de facto digital
reference for most applications these days as they probably are the most
complete and accurate digital maps that are AVAILABLE. They are the
underlying base for most map products that you see out there - like "Street
Map USA" etc. We looked at them for use in our business, but because of
examples as above, we could not use them.
In densely populated areas, they are pretty good - like where I am now :
EM13OB or 33.04 N 96.74 W or Plano, TX.
The application is a little "clunky" but if you spend some time and get
your location marked, you can zoom out and see how you relate to the rest
of the country. It's also interesting to see the globe with out any other
countries on it when you zoom way out. The USA is apparently the only data
in the system.
For those of us down here in the "main 48" it's probably ok.
73,
KR2J/5
>From Scott.Neustadter@HSV.Boeing.com (Neustadter, Scott) Fri Sep 6 14:16:04
>1996
From: Scott.Neustadter@HSV.Boeing.com (Neustadter, Scott) (Neustadter, Scott)
Subject: What is your Lat-Long?
Message-ID:
<c=US%a=_%p=Boeing%l=NT-HSV-03-960906131604Z-66@nt-hsv-03.hv.boeing.com>
Where are the instructions for using this system? I can't get the map
center to move as I try to zero in on my QTH. I can move red pins all
over the place, but they don't move the map center.
----------
From: jreid@aloha.net[SMTP:jreid@aloha.net]
Sent: Thursday, September 05, 1996 4:04 PM
To: cookc@teleport.com
Cc: cq-contest@TGV.COM
Subject: Re: What is your Lat-Long?
At 09:24 PM 9/3/96 -0700, you wrote:
> Point your browser at "http://tiger.census.gov";. This is the census
bureau
tiger >mapping service.
Craig, This is super. I found the level of detail on these maps,
when zooming way in, to be astonishing in accuracy, even for
a rather remote island such as Kauai is! Out here, 1.0 arcsec
is about 118 feet at this latitude; or a little less than 12 feet per
0.1 arcsec. With these maps at that site, I could even spot my
antenna "tower" to within 25 feet or so in the backyard!
It seems to be at latitude + 21.91955 deg (+21 55' 10.6") by longitude
of -159.49819deg (159W 29' 53.48").
I was amazed to learn of a slight bend in our street, Lawailoa Lane,
of which I was not conciously aware until I viewed the highly
zoomed map of the roads leading in to this QTH. A much more
useful spotting tool for land sites that the dithered GPS signal can
now provide, for sure.
Thanks for the site tip!
73, Jim, AH6NB
On the Garden Island of Kauai
>From dave@egh.com (David Clemons) Fri Sep 6 14:38:45 1996
From: dave@egh.com (David Clemons) (David Clemons)
Subject: Where to point antennas in storm?
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.91.960906093403.8627A-100000@newman.egh.com>
Hi,
I was under the impression that antennas should be pointed into
the wind in order to sustain minimum damage. I know (from experience)
that they will not cause the mast to twist inside the rotator if so
pointed, and will often do so if not.
I'm also posting this to the towertalk reflector because the
folks there may have better info than I. Perhaps Steve K7LXC has a comment?
73, Dave Clemons K1VUT
>From fisher@hp-and2.an.hp.com (Tony Brock-Fisher) Fri Sep 6 14:46:57 1996
From: fisher@hp-and2.an.hp.com (Tony Brock-Fisher) (Tony Brock-Fisher)
Subject: Where to point antennas in storm?
Message-ID: <9609061346.AA15433@hp-and2.an.hp.com>
The answer is there's no simple answer. From the perspective of the
rotator, you'd want to point the antenna in a direction that results
in minimum rotating moment. Both the boom and the elements of a yagi
antenna have wind drag, and therefore both contribute to rotational
moment. If the boom is asymmetrically mounted (liek a KT-34XA), it can
have substantial moment of it's own. To determine the direction
that gives you minimum moment, you need to calculate the drag as a function
of angle for each of the elements and the boom, and add u all the
contributions. Such calculations are done in the W6QHS book I keep
plugging. Bottom line is it's different for each different antenna.
-Tony, K1KP, fisher@hp-and2.an.hp.com
>From broz@csn.net (John Brosnahan) Fri Sep 6 15:13:09 1996
From: broz@csn.net (John Brosnahan) (John Brosnahan)
Subject: Where to point antennas in storm?
Message-ID: <199609061413.IAA20950@lynx.csn.net>
Since some of this discussion was cross-posted, I will do the
same thing this one time and then move all of my comments
over to towertalk.
There is no general answer to this question of where to point the
beam in a storm! It all depends on what you are trying to
accomplish and specific details of the particular installation.
1) If the tower is the weak link in the system (usually not the case
for guyed towers, but it might be the case for a self-supporting one)
then the antenna should be pointed to minimize the load on the
tower by orienting it to put the minimum area towards the prevailing
wind.
2) If the rotator needs the protection then the antenna should
be oriented to minimize the torque on the rotator. If the mast is
not mounted at the center of the boom, then the beam should
be pointed in line with the wind direction, rather than having an
asymetrical boom at right angles to the wind which will try to
windmill and torque the rotator.
3) If the elements are the weak link in the system then they should be
aligned parallel to the wind flow.
4) If the boom is the weak link then it should be aligned parallel to
the wind flow.
As you can see it is not as simple as "always do this, or always do
that". It all depends on what is trying to be protected and the
specific details of the individual installation.
For my own installations, I plan to make sure that 1) my towers
are very rugged 2) that my rotators are strong and the beams are
mounted with their booms centered about the mast to reduce the
torque (won't eliminate it since there is always turbulence to deal with)
3) side guy my booms to really beef them up 4) turn the booms
at right angles to the wind to reduce the wind load on the elements.
This is the right decision for me because I use beams with lots of
elements and it is easier to side guy the boom than to side guy
each individual element. Plus it is a cleaner installation to not have
side guys on every element.
Sorry, just no easy answer. There has been an evolution in thinking
on this subject due to the publishing of the cross-flow method of
analysis of the wind loading and much of the earlier information
on how to design Yagis and how to calculate their windloads needs
to be updated because the early work is overly simplistic.
Hope this helps.
73 John
John Brosnahan W0UN
24115 WCR 40
La Salle, CO 80645
"Radio Contesting IS a Contact Sport"
>From seay@alaska.net (Del Seay) Fri Sep 6 14:37:23 1996
From: seay@alaska.net (Del Seay) (Del Seay)
Subject: DB Products Calculator
Message-ID: <32302913.1D70@alaska.net>
I've had quite a few requests for info on the "calculator" for
obtaining lat & long from USGS maps, so will send to the reflector
and save my fingers!
It is available from Decibel Products in Dallas, Texas.
Tel (214) 631-0310
These are "Freebies" for customers, so there may be a nominal charge
for others. Ask for the "Decibel's Measuring Stick".
With a little practice, you can use it to find your Lat & Long to
within fractional seconds. And - you don't have to count on the digital
data from the internet being accurate.
de KL7HF
>From jdclarke@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Jeffrey Clarke) Fri Sep 6 16:58:21 1996
From: jdclarke@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Jeffrey Clarke) (Jeffrey Clarke)
Subject: sprint team members still needed !
Message-ID: <Pine.3.07.9609061121.A10609-9100000@login>
I still have slots left on Mad River Team #2. If you need a
team e-mail me ASAP..........
Jeff KU8E
Mad River team # 2
K3JT
AA7BG
AA8AV
******************************************************************
* Jeffrey D. Clarke jdclarke@freenet.columbus.oh.us *
******************************************************************
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